Bangalore-based 650-bed Manipal Hospital has a chalked out a major initiative to attract an increasing number of patients from UAE and other middle-east undergo procedures and access treatment modalities at its super speciality facility here in the city. The hospital has already invested Rs. 3 crore for its telemedicine link and an International Patient Centre (IPC) which is a 49-bed facility. The hospital is the first in the state to establish an exclusive area for international patient care.
The IPC located on the 8th floor of the 11-storied Hospital complex is fully operational with 26 beds running full capacity on several occasions. The hospitals has been treating patients from all parts of the world from the early 90s at its 650-bed facility. Between April 2003 to March 2004, it has treated over 500 patients from the UAE alone and the figures are expected to double this financial year with the IPC on the 8th floor.
The International Patient Centres have also exclusive kitchens and billing counters. The hospitals has applied to Reserve Bank of India to seek permission to accept foreign currency to final clearance.
The hospital has also engaged nurses conversant in Arabic to handle two shifts. These nurses were earlier employed at UAE hospitals and were keen to return to India.
To attract affluent foreign patients from US, UK, Europe and UAE, Manipal will have its second modern 23-bed executive IPC opened on the 11th floor in a few weeks. The spacious rooms are equipped with channel music, colour television, reading lights, concierge-valet service, post-parcel service, STD/ISD/Fax, Internet, pantry, laundry, foreign exchange services, florist, complimentary airport transfers and rent a mobile. There is language interpretation in English, Mandarin, Urdu, Japanese, German, French, Arabic, Swahili, Creole, Bengali and Hindi, apart from Hard-of-Hearing services through auxiliary aids such as qualified sign language interpreters. The cost of each bed is priced at around Rs. 4500.
The current scene in UAE is that healthcare costs are expensive. There is a large patient population who cannot afford it. The Indian doctors at the hospitals in the UAE are much sought after.
Hence the main attractions for UAE patients to access Indian healthcare facilities is the easy accessibility, economies of scale and availability of traditional systems of medicine. Manipal Hospital in Bangalore certified as ISO 9001:2000 for clinical, nursing, diagnostics and allied areas is conveniently located and is increasingly becoming a preferred choice, informed Rajesh Pandey, senior manager, marketing, communications and customer care, Manipal Hospital. "The cost of treatment is one fourth the costs of treatment at UAE. The patients coming to Manipal are treated from critical disorders to low risk diseases and cosmetic procedures," he added.
Medical graduates from the Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, Karnataka working at leading hospitals in UAE has now appointed personnel to man its Medical Information Kiosks in Al Ain and Ras Al Khema in the UAE.
The hospital is also in the final stages of discussions with a leading hospital in Dubai and has associated with New Medical Centre, a chain of hospitals in the UAE for its telemedicine project which is expected to take off in a few weeks and strengthen its ongoing patient transfer programme.